United States travel guide, useful information regarding the weather, when to go, how to get there, necessary documents and all the things to know before departure.
United States in a nutshell
- Capital: Washington
- Area in sq km: 9,372,614
- Population: 300,000,000 (2006)
- Religion: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox and other religions.
Where are
The United States borders Canada to the north, Mexico to the south. The coasts are washed to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico. Alaska and Hawaii are also part of the US.
Alaska, in fact, occupies the north western end of the North American continent and borders Canada to the southeast, and is bathed in the north by the Arctic Ocean, in the west by the Bering Sea, in the south by the Pacific Ocean.
The Hawaiian Islands are in the Pacific Ocean at 5000 km. ca. from the coasts of the United States.
In addition to the 50 states that make up the United States confederation and the District of Columbia (Washington), the seat of the federal government, various territories in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean also depend on the US, including the state of Puerto Rico.
As for the territory, on the east coast there are the coastal plains of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
Also on this side the Appalachian Mountains run from north to south, to the west of which the Inner Plains extend which occupy over a third of the territory and include the basin of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
To the east of Mississippi there are green and wet grasslands, which contrast with the soil formed mostly by debris of the Rocky Mountains, which extends west of the river.
In fact, these Inner Plains are delimited to the west by another mountainous region, formed by three longitudinal bundles of hills separated by large valleys, deep depressions and plateaus that come close to the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
Of these mountain ranges, the first one we meet proceeding from east to west is that of the Rocky Mountains (with peaks over 4000 m.).
Between this chain and the other chains of the falls and of the Sierra Nevada, the region of the Great Basin extends, which in ancient times was covered by large lakes, of which today remain the Great Salt Lake and some minor lakes, all brackish due to the strong evaporation.
Recommended readings- California (United States): what to see
- Iowa (United States): what to see in the 29th state
- Arches: what to see in the national park
- Arizona (United States): what to see in the state of the Grand Canyon
- North Carolina: what to see between the city and the Atlantic coast
In cases where the drying process has already taken place, a salt-encrusted desert remains, such as the Death Valley depression, located 85 meters below sea level.
The Great Basin is bordered to the north by the Columbia plateau and to the south by the Colorado plateau.
The Colorado plateau is a desert plateau of limestone rocks, carved by deep gorges carved by rivers.
For uniqueness and beauty of the landscape, the Grand Canyon gorge is the most famous, at 1,800 meters below the level of the plateau the Colorado River flows.
Between the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada and the Coastal Range, made up of the last hills located close to the coast, there is the Great California Valley, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers flow which, meeting almost in the middle of the valley, flow at sea at the San Francisco Bay.
Hydrography
The Hudson River descends from the Appalachian Mountains, which flows into the bay of New York and constitutes an important river communication route.
Other notable rivers, which originate from the Appalachians and flow into the Atlantic Ocean, are the Potomac and Delaware.
Instead the Colorado River originates from the Rocky Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean, at the Gulf of California in Mexican territory.
Furthermore, the Sacramento rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean, to which San Joaquine and Columbia pay tribute, just before the mouth, while the Rio Grande, which originates on the western side of the Rocky Mountains, flows into the Gulf of Mexico, after having scored for a long stretch the border between the United States and Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico also flows into the United States' main river, Mississippi, which, fed by numerous tributaries, including Missouri, Ohio, to which Tennessee, Arkansas and Red River pays, forms an immense river basin. .
The most important lakes for extension and for economic reasons, are located in the north of the country, on the border with Canada, and are called Great Lakes or Laurentian Lakes, because they are connected to the Atlantic Ocean by an emissary, the San Lorenzo river.
These lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, of which only Michigan belongs entirely to the United States, the rest are divided between the United States and Canada.
Climate
The territory of the United States is all included in the temperate zone, excluding part of Alaska, but due to the vastness of the territory, the distance of the oceans from the innermost points of the country and the arrangement of the mountain ranges, the climate is very varied.
The reliefs that run from north to south, parallel to the coasts, hinder the mitigating influence of the sea and leave the inland flat regions open to polar cold air currents from Canada and tropical hot air currents rising from the Gulf of Mexico .
In Chicago the climate has continental features with harsh winters.
New York, located on the sea at the same latitude as Naples, is characterized by cold winters, as it is affected by the cold polar currents.
In San Francisco, in the state of California, winter is mild and rainy, while summers are quite cool and misty.
In the Death Valley, temperatures are among the highest in the world.
In Florida the climate is hot and humid and subtropical vegetation is present.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, the climate is hot and humid, the cyclone season covers the months from June to the end of September.
In Alaska the temperatures are cold, only in the months of June, July and August the climate is temperate.
Population
The majority of the population of the United States is made up of descendants of European immigrants, especially Anglo-Saxons, who have greatly influenced the culture and mentality of the country.
In addition to Europeans, including many Italians, there are groups of African, Asian descent and a small percentage of Native Americans.
Today immigrants in the United States come largely from Mexico and Latin America.
Time zone
In the United States there are 6 time zones.
- In the eastern Atlantic region, which includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky (eastern part of the state), Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the time is 6 hours less than in Italy.
- In the central region, which includes the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky (western part of the state), Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, the time is 7 hours less than in Italy.
- In the Mountains region, which includes the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, the hour is 8 hours less than in Italy.
- In the western Pacific region, which includes the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, the time is 9 hours less than in Italy.
-In Alaska the hour is 10 hours less than in Italy and in the Hawaiian Islands 11 hours less. Daylight saving time comes into force in April until the end of October.
Spoken language
In the United States, the language spoken is English.
Spanish is also spoken in some areas.
Economy
Political and social factors combined with the wealth of natural resources, due to the vastness of the territory, contribute to making the United States a world economic power.
Agriculture based on high productivity and specialization employs a minimal part of the population and reaches the top places in the world in many sectors.
The highly competitive industry makes use of advanced technologies, employs about 21% of the population, and is mainly present in the electronic (computers, televisions, hi-fi), mechanical (they are large manufacturers of automobiles and also aerospace vehicles), chemical sectors , food, iron and steel industry, rubber and tire processing, paper, graphic and editorial industry, textiles, fashion and cinema.
National income is mainly produced (approx. 75% of the population employed) by the service sector.
When to go
Each season is suitable for visiting the United States even if the choice of the period depends on the type of holiday we want to do, since this immense country has a considerable variety of climate.
The northern states (New England) and also the Rocky Mountains are suitable places, in the winter months, for those who practice snow sports, but they are also very beautiful in the other seasons.
To appreciate the beaches and nature of Florida, the most suitable months are the winter and spring months.
Summer, although high tourist season, is particularly hot in the states that are located in the southwestern part of the country, including New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada.
Necessary documents
Citizens of some countries, including Italy, who intend to travel to the United States, can take advantage of the Visa Waiver Program without a visa.
Some requirements are required to join this program:
- A period of stay of less than 90 days for tourism and / or business.
- Be in possession of a return ticket.
- Be in possession of the electronic passport, that is the passport with microchip inserted frontally on the cover.
- The entry visa must be requested if the stay is longer than 90 days, but if the trip does not concern reasons related to tourism, business or just transit, an entry visa is also required for periods of less than 90 days of stay, and it is good to consult the US Consulates.
An individual passport is mandatory for minors.
ESTA approval required
As of 12 January 2009, in order to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, it is mandatory to obtain an ESTA authorization (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).
Authorization must be obtained before boarding the air or naval means of transport, bound for the United States.
Requests should be submitted before leaving by completing the online application on the Esta website.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that you send them as soon as possible, in most cases the response will come within a few seconds, otherwise you will need to check the Esta website for the next 72 hours to receive a final response.
The Esta approval authorizes the traveler to board the means of transport en route to the USA, but does not guarantee entry to the port of entry.
The travel authorization, if not revoked, is valid for a maximum period of two years, or until the expiration of the traveler's passport, depending on the condition that will occur first.
After electronic approval, in the case of other travels or changes to the applicant's destination addresses or itineraries, the information can be updated via the Esta website.
Phone
- The area code for calling from Italy to the United States is: 001
- The area code for calling from the United States to Italy is: 01139
Tri-band cell phones operate in the US (1900 MHz frequency).
Electricity
The electric current is 110 volts.
Money and credit cards
The currency of the USA is the US dollar. Credit cards are widespread.
How to get
plane
In the United States, the main international airports are in the following cities:
- New York (airports: John F Kennedy International Airport, La Guardia Airport and Newark Airport)
- Washington (airports: Ronald Reagan National Airport for domestic flights and Washington Dulles International Airport for international flights)
- Boston (Logan International Airport), Chicago (airports: O’Hare and Midway)
- Miami (airports: Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport)
- Dallas (airports: Dallas / Forth Worth for international flights and Love Field for domestic flights)
- Denver (Denver International Airport)
- Houston (airports: George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport for low cost airlines)
- Atlanta (Hartsfield International Airport)
- Seattle (Sea-Tac airport)
- Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport)
- San Francisco (airports: San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport and San Jose International Airport).
From these airports, American airlines organize flights to various internal destinations.
From Italy the main airports from which direct flights to the United States depart are Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa with the airlines Alitalia, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines.
Delta Airlines also offers direct connections to New York (JFK) from Venice and Pisa.
